Trenton, NJ—This Social Work Month, the National Association of Social Workers – NJ Chapter (NASW-NJ) launches the Institute of Oral History for Social Work in collaboration with StoryCorps. Debuting with the stories of more than a dozen prominent social workers from the state of New Jersey, the Institute will grow to encompass the stories of social workers from across our nation—stories that will be preserved for posterity in the American Folklife Center at the U.S. Library of Congress.

“The history of the social work profession is long and deep—marked by the deeds of advocates who led us, teachers who elevated us, colleagues who mentored us, and coworkers who inspired us on the hardest of days,” said Jennifer Thompson, MSW, Executive Director of NASW-NJ. “These are stories that need to be shared and preserved. They are the stories of change agents, leaders, and helpers—generations of social workers who uplifted individuals, families, and communities and the legacies they have built. These stories enrich our understanding of our collective past, allow us a glimpse into the lives of those on the front lines, and help us understand how the social work profession changes the lives of everyday people, families, and communities across our nation.”

Now, through the Institute for Oral History of Social Work, NASW-NJ has made it possible for the stories of social workers to be documented and preserved for generations to come. The Institute launches with the stories of some of the most prominent social workers in our state—professionals whose work has had a profound and lasting impact on the people and communities around them and laid the groundwork for future generations. Here are a few of their stories.

Bill Waldman – A Lifetime of Public Service

William Waldman, CSWM, Professor of Professional Practice Emeritus at the Rutgers University School of Social Work, is one of the most influential social workers of his generation. His 50 years of practice experience encompass casework, supervision, management, policy development, governance and leadership positions in numerous public and private organizations at the local, state and national level. He served as Commissioner of Human Services for three different New Jersey Governors, served as Director of the NJ Division of Youth and Family Services and Executive Director of the American Public Human Services Association located in Washington, DC. He currently chairs or serves as a member of the Board of several nonprofit human service organizations, in addition to teaching and writing.

“Bill Waldman was the most influential professor in my social work education,” said Jeff Feldman, MSW, LSW, Director of Advocacy and Communications at NASW-NJ. “He was the architect of much of New Jersey’s human service infrastructure—an infrastructure that is largely still in place today. Moreover, his passion for social welfare policy and his unwavering belief that government could be a force for good in society set me on the career path I still follow.”

Phylis Peterman – Inspiring the Next Generation of Social Workers

Dr. Phylis Peterman, LCSW, long-time Chair of the Department of Social Work at Rutgers University – Newark until her retirement in 2019 and is a highly respected teacher and mentor. Over the course of her decades-long tenure, she was the recipient of multiple professional and academic awards including, in 2001, Rutgers’ highest honor for innovative teaching and mentoring, the Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has also been the recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award for Rutgers-Newark; Rutgers University Presidential Award for Public Service; and Social Worker of the Year from NASW-NJ; among others. There is not a social worker who passed through the halls of Rutgers-Newark whose career she did not influence.

Carrie Conger, MSW, LSW, First Vice President of the NASW-NJ Board of Directors and a former student and part-time lecturer of Dr. Peterman offered these thoughts: “Dr. Peterman inspired me to become a social worker as an undergraduate and to look at the power of macro-level changes that affect large groups of people and communities. She encouraged me to pursue my interest in using my generalist social work skills to propose and change policies to achieve social justice on behalf of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Without Dr. Peterman’s encouragement and mentorship, I would have never had the amazing opportunity to teach at Rutgers-Newark, which has been a transformative professional and personal experience.”

Tawanda Hubbard – Turning Trauma into Triumph

Dr. Tawanda Hubbard, LCSW, a social work educator and practitioner, is a past-president of NASW-NJ and the first woman of color to serve as Chapter president. She has taught at both Rutgers University School of Social Work and Monmouth University School of Social Work and was honored by Rutgers in 2016 with the Outstanding Doctoral Student Instructor award and in 2013 and 2014 with Outstanding Adjunct Instructor awards. Dr. Hubbard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with over 15 years of experience in child welfare, behavioral health, and clinical practice. She is a certified child sexual abuse therapist and REBT therapist; a trained family therapist in Bowen’s intergenerational therapy; and trained in family therapy at Ackerman Institute for the Family and Multicultural Family Institute.

“Dr. Hubbard is a true social work pioneer and her commitment to challenging the ways in which we think about the profession has been seen in numerous ways,” said Jennifer Thompson, MSW and Executive Director of NASW-NJ. “Dr. Hubbard’s work connects the dots in our profession, bridging the gap between micro, mezzo and macro work—and ultimately impacting policy on a state and national level. Her work inspires me to continue to build bridges, find connections and connect thought leaders as we tackle the critical work of racial and social justice.”

Each social worker has a powerful story to tell—a story of a life touched, a community uplifted, a project that affected change. You can listen to the stories collected already in the Institute for Oral History of Social Work on the StoryCorps website or at https://naswnj.socialworkers.org/News/Institute-for-Oral-History

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Founded in 1955, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest membership organization of professional social workers in the world, with more than 100,000 members. The New Jersey Chapter is the second largest chapter in the United States, with more than 6,500 members. NASW-NJ works to enhance the professional growth and development of its members, to create and maintain professional standards, and to advance sound social policies. Learn more at www.naswnj.org.